Halls in Blighty

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21 Disember 2019
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Hari 1
Sabtu, 21 Disember 2019
☀️ 30 °C
Altitud: 11 m
Australia Alexandra Canal -33.936026, 151.17407433°56’10” S 151°10’27” E
Kingsford Smith Airport
21 Disember 2019, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Somehow we got to the end of the school and work year and made it to the airport full of excitement and anticipation. Summer in Australia had started with horrific bushfires and our flight was cancelled due to smoke and strong winds.

We headed home from the air-port with disappointed hearts. We didn't have to worry too long. A replacement flight was arranged and we were off the next day, still in plenty of time for Christmas with the family.Baca lagi
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Hari 3
Isnin, 23 Disember 2019
☀️ 9 °C
Altitud: 7 m
England East Sheen 51.464706, -0.27206251°27’53” N 0°16’19” W
4 Connaught Avenue
23 Disember 2019, England ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
We arrived at 4 Connaught Avenue before dawn break to the sounds of George and Percy pattering down the hall and whispering “they’re here”. It was a very exciting reunion - hugs and kisses all around and a quick tour of the house and sleeping arrangements.

But Christmas was coming and there was lots to do. Tegan and I headed out to Barnes for meat, fish and veg, while George, Russell and the kids got on the bus to Richmond for last minute gifts (and breakfast).

To stave off afternoon jet lag, we headed into the city in the afternoon to look around the shops and Leicester Square and soak up the pre-Christmas excitement.Baca lagi
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Hari 4
Selasa, 24 Disember 2019
⛅ 10 °C
Altitud: 7 m
England East Sheen 51.464706, -0.27206251°27’53” N 0°16’19” W
Waitrose
24 Disember 2019, England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Today was a day of shopping, cooking, wrapping and getting ready.

It was so lovely to be with the London gang for Christmas, even though we dearly missed Mum, Soph and Ross who sent us messages from home. Mum mainly wanted to know whether we had been to Waitrose yet - prompting the “Waitrose Selfie”.

We also ticked off another London tradition by going to the Bank of England pool for a swim before fancy Xmas Eve tea (roast chicken and Plumble.Baca lagi
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Hari 5
Rabu, 25 Disember 2019
☀️ 7 °C
Altitud: 24 m
England East Sheen 51.451941, -0.28197551°27’7” N 0°16’55” W
Christmas Day
25 Disember 2019, England ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Christmas Day ! Everyone was up early to get stuck into all the presents under the tree.

It was a glorious sunny day so we went for a walk (and climb) in Richmond Park.

Then it was time to get stuck into the festivities. Negronis all round, and then Christmas lunch was a triumph - beef wellington, pudding and trifle.

Everyone fell into bed with new Xmas books and reading companions.Baca lagi
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Hari 6
Khamis, 26 Disember 2019
🌧 8 °C
Altitud: 15 m
England Victoria Palace Theatre 51.496828, -0.14252751°29’49” N 0°8’33” W
Hamilton !
26 Disember 2019, England ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
I received the most exciting Christmas gift ever - tickets to Hamilton for the whole family !

We had been listening to the soundtrack for the last 18 months, so I knew we would love it. But - the show itself exceeded all my expectations (which were high !!). This set up the sound track for the rest of the trip, with lots of singing and quoting of favourite lines..."Da da da dat da dat da da da da da ya da".

Before the show we took a tour of St Paul’s, climbing the dome and looking out over the city of London in the swirling wind. Tegan hooked us up for dinner in a great place called “Bone Daddies” - serving Japanese comfort food.

A fantastic day and night !Baca lagi
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Hari 7
Jumaat, 27 Disember 2019
⛅ 7 °C
Altitud: 15 m
England Hampton Court Palace 51.403248, -0.33755151°24’12” N 0°20’15” W
Ice-skating at Hampton Court
27 Disember 2019, England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Today we all headed out to nearby Hampton Court Palace where an ice-skating rink was set up for the Christmas season.

After a few turns of the ice rink, we got tickets into the palace and grounds. Hampton Court Palace is where King Henry VIII set up court, and it is now a historical museum. There are real working kitchens with huge hunks of meat roasting, and pies cooking.

We wandered through the Great Hall, reading about Tudor dining etiquette: "Don't shift your buttocks left and right as if to let off some blast. Sit neatly and still".

Henry's Counsel Chamber is set up with projections of all the main players (Cromwell, Cardinal Wolsey etc) holding forth with advice and opinion.

There were also actors in costume roaming around acting out hilarious scenes about a group of players coming to court to entertain Queen Elizabeth. Lots of Shakespearean confusion, cross-dressing and audience participation.Baca lagi
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Hari 8
Sabtu, 28 Disember 2019
☀️ 11 °C
Altitud: 38 m
Itali Ludus Magnus 41.889294, 12.49354741°53’21” N 12°29’37” E
Rome - Hotel Ripa, Trastevere
28 Disember 2019, Itali ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
Today we left our comfy home away from home for our Italian mini-break.

Poor Ivy started the day being sick. We tried to be discrete with a plastic bag in the back of the taxi on the way to Gatwick. She felt so unwell while we were waiting at the airport, on the plane (thankfully only 2 hours), getting through immigration, and on the train to Rome and bus to Trastevere.

It was a huge relief to arrive at Hotel Ripa in Trastevere. It was so comfortable and welcoming and Ivy could finally curl up in the queen bed under a cosy duvet and get some sleep.

Henry, Russell and I then took turns going down for drinks and dinner at the hotel bar and restaurant downstairs. Henry was so enchanted by the free bread they kept bringing he couldn't make it through the main meal. This became a bit of a theme for the trip - with Henry and Ivy throwing themselves at the bread basket at every restaurant and trattoria we went to.Baca lagi
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Hari 9
Ahad, 29 Disember 2019
☀️ 8 °C
Altitud: 35 m
Itali Colosseum 41.890221, 12.49231741°53’25” N 12°29’32” E
Colosseum and Roman Forum
29 Disember 2019, Itali ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Luckily by morning, Ivy had made a full recovery and we were able to head out after breakfast for our tour of the Colosseum and Roman forum.

We stopped off on the way at the Trevi Fountain to throw some coins.

We met our guide Inger who took us on our tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was a treat to have her taking us around and telling us historical stories. It was particularly awe inspiring to stand in the spectator area and imagine the Colosseum flooded to stage sea battles. They also brought in wild animals from around the world to battle it out for the entertainment of the people of Rome.

We finished by taking in the Pantheon as the sun set and then to "Ivo" in Trastevere (as recommended by Ash and Huxley) for pizza and pasta.

We also got serious with gelato for our first proper day in Italy. Some favourites emerged - frutti di bosca for Henry, mango for Ivy, and Russell and I went for the fior di lattes, dulce de leche, aran etc...Baca lagi
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Hari 10
Isnin, 30 Disember 2019
☀️ 8 °C
Altitud: 23 m
Vatican City Saint Peter's Square 41.902257, 12.45813141°54’8” N 12°27’29” E
Vatican and the Sistine Chapel
30 Disember 2019, Vatican City ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Today started with coffee and Italian hot chocolate at our new favourite cafe "Giselda Forno" around the corner from Hotel Ripa.

From there we walked across the Tiber to Campo di Fiori and wandered the market looking for George's ragno undershirts. Failing in that task, we got some pizza slices for lunch and headed back across the river to Vatican City.

From there things started to unravel a little. I had failed to read the fine print on the skip the line tickets for the Vatican Museum that I had bought online. That meant we spent about 40 minutes in the wrong queue before we were told we had to go to a separate meeting point to collect our tickets. By that time we had missed the start time for our self guided tour. Apparently our only option was to hand over several more Euros and upgrade to the next guided tour in an hours time. That tour started with another 40 minute wait in the skip the line queue.

Anyway, I know I shouldn't grumble. Standing and looking up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling is certainly an experience of a lifetime. We ended by visiting Michelangelo's other masterpiece - the Pieta in San Pietro.

By the time we left the Vatican it was dark and after a few wrong turns our walk home became a bit long and scary. We opted for the comfort of Hotel Ripa again for drinks and dinner before getting an early night ahead of our trip to Florence in the morning.Baca lagi
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Hari 11
Selasa, 31 Disember 2019 12:00 PG
🌙 0 °C
Altitud: 66 m
Itali Piazza San Marco 43.776737, 11.25731143°46’36” N 11°15’26” E
New Year’s Eve in Florence
31 Disember 2019, Itali ⋅ 🌙 0 °C
Today we took the train through the Italian countryside to Florence and made our way to the Hotel del Corso around the corner from the Duomo.

Our rooms turned out to be a two and a half level apartment with kitchen, laundry and bathroom in an old building next door to Dante’s house. Our hosts Chiara and Giulia were lovely and helped us get settled. Chiara booked us into a restaurant called Chiaroscuro for our New Year dinner.

After dinner we walked around Florence, enjoying the lights, the merry-go-round, and more gelato before tucking ourselves into bed by 9:30 pm.Baca lagi
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Hari 12
Rabu, 1 Januari 2020
☀️ 8 °C
Altitud: 105 m
Itali Piazzale Michelangelo 43.762794, 11.26500443°45’46” N 11°15’54” E
New Year’s Day
1 Januari 2020, Itali ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
It turned out that not everyone had an early night last night. I went out at around 7:00 am - the streets were deserted but strewn with empty bottles and other NYE detritis.

Florence wasn't messy for long though, By the time I headed back for coffee and breakfast, the street sweepers were out and the story book beauty was restored.

Most of Florence was closed for New Years Day. It was strange walking over the Ponte Vecchio with all the jewellery stalls closed and locked.

The Leonardo da Vinci museum was open so we spent an hour or so there. We went across the river and walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo to look out over the old city.

Came back along the Ponte Grazie where George throws Lucy’s photographs into the Arno (because they were covered in blood).

We visited Santa Croce then had dinner at Osteria del Gatto e la Volpe.

Today was a great gelato day. I have discovered an unbeatable combination - hazlenut (or could be nocciola or baci) with cherry (whole soft stewed cherries in a sort of fior di latte).Baca lagi
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Hari 13
Khamis, 2 Januari 2020
☀️ 8 °C
Altitud: 59 m
Itali Galleria dell'Accademia 43.776718, 11.25916243°46’36” N 11°15’33” E
David and Duomo
2 Januari 2020, Itali ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Today we set out super early for the Accademia. Determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Sistine Chapel, we had tickets for 8:15 am and were at the meeting point 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

It was fabulous - there were very few people at that time and we had prime position and plenty of time to gaze upon the man himself, David ! The block of marble used for David had been tried and rejected by a few different sculptors as too hard to work with before Michelangelo had a go. Incredible that something so beautiful was created. This time I was really struck by the determination, but trepidation in his eyes.

We also spent some time with the Medici instruments and the rest of the gallery before joining the long line to go into the Cathedral. Unfortunately tickets to climb the Duomo were sold out for several days, so we had to content ourselves with the view from the inside. Which is beautiful enough !

After that, it was farewell Florence and back on the train to Rome. I made the booking a little late to all sit together, so Ivy and I sat in one carriage, Russell at the back of the next, while Henry found himself in a foursome with some grandparents and their grandson. Happily, we all made it off at the right stop.Baca lagi
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Hari 14
Jumaat, 3 Januari 2020 12:00 PG
🌙 3 °C
Altitud: 39 m
Itali Spanish Steps 41.906013, 12.48283441°54’22” N 12°28’58” E
Farewell Keats, arrividerci Roma
3 Januari 2020, Itali ⋅ 🌙 3 °C
For our last night in Italy we stayed in the fancy Hotel Meditterraneo recommended by Tegan's brother - right next to the station.

While the sun was setting we took a walk to the Spanish Steps. I was keen to re-visit the Keats House, where I started by Roman trip with Soph almost exactly 23 years ago. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations, but you could go in to the gift shop and watch a documentary about Keats. It was a quiet little oasis right next to the crowds and selfie stick sellers next door at the Piazza Spagna.

In 1821 Severn wrote in his diary: “28 Jan 3 o’clock in the morning - drawn to keep me awake - a deadly sweat was on him all night”. Before he died, Keats asked to be lifted out of his bed to look out his window one last time.

We had our last dinner at the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Mediterraneo. We were all looking forward to getting back to our London family.Baca lagi
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Hari 15
Sabtu, 4 Januari 2020
⛅ 7 °C
Altitud: 9 m
England Barnes 51.475248, -0.24061451°28’31” N 0°14’26” W
The Last Skywalker
4 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
A longstanding itch for Henry was scratched today when we went to Barnes to see "The Last Skywalker", The London Coles' local cinema is fantastic. It started as a dance hall, then was a cinema, and from the 60s onwards it was a recording studio and before the movie there was footage of all the famous bands that recorded there - Rolling Stones, Beatles, Led Zepellin, Queen, Pink Floyd...

During the night however we received some worrying news from home. Our Mum had had a fall at the beach and had been taken to hospital. After a flurry of phone calls it was still a little unclear what had happened. We were so thankful to Soph and Ross who pulled themselves off their flight to Malaysia to return to Wollongong and take care of Mum.

I was glad to be with George - it is hard to be far from home when bad news comes in.Baca lagi
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Hari 16
Ahad, 5 Januari 2020
☁️ 7 °C
Altitud: 26 m
England Farringdon Without 51.51567, -0.1070251°30’56” N 0°6’25” W
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
5 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
When morning came, the news from Wollongong started to trickle in - Mum seemed better, although a bit battered about. George and I both got to speak to her and felt re-assured. We knew she was in good hands with the doctors and of course Soph and Ross.

Our other incredibly exciting Christmas gift was tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. We saw the first half as a matinee, then had dinner and back in for the second half. It is difficult to describe how amazing this show is. Also, you are not supposed to spoil the secrets and surprises. It was the best experience - lots of magic and effects, but also funny and a great story. the 5 hours went by in no time.

While we were in town Percy had his party with nursery and family friends, complete with a triumph of a Spiderman Cake.Baca lagi
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Hari 17
Isnin, 6 Januari 2020
⛅ 6 °C
Altitud: 7 m
England East Sheen 51.464706, -0.27206251°27’53” N 0°16’19” W
Happy Birthday Percy !
6 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Percy was four today !

We all went into town to a favourite of George and Tegan's - Dishoom, which "pays homage to the Irani cafe's and all the food of Bombay". We started with mango lassis and breakfast and then moved into the lunch menu. Everything was delicious.

George and Tegan took us to their old stomping grounds in Bloomsbury and we went to the children's playground at Coram Fields to burn off some energy.

We finished up at the British Museum. There was a divergence of interest level (and tiredness level) in our group, and so we broke into three different parties for the journey home.

We were all ready for tea and cake when we got there.Baca lagi
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Hari 18
Selasa, 7 Januari 2020
☀️ 8 °C
Altitud: 42 m
England Norwich 52.628715, 1.29206552°37’43” N 1°17’31” E
Norwich
7 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C
Today work and school started for the London Coles. Molly arrived to take the boys to school and I took myself off on the train to Norwich to spend the day with an old and very dear friend Elizabeth.

Meanwhile Russell, Henry and Ivy tagged along on the school run and went into town to the Tate Modern. Apparently they were plotting a day trip to Paris - but sadly didn't take their passports.Baca lagi
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Hari 19
Rabu, 8 Januari 2020
☁️ 9 °C
Altitud: 103 m
England Abbots Langley 51.693253, -0.42025251°41’36” N 0°25’13” W
Harry Potter world !
8 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
We took the train out to Watford Junction and then out to the Harry Potter studios at Leavesden.

There was everything here a Harry Potter fan could want - and also enough to entertain someone more like me.

Henry and Ivy blew the last of their holiday money in the gift shop (Ivy - a t-shirt and lots of lollies, Henry - the wand of Yaxley, an obscure character who exists in mostly deleted scenes from the movies).Baca lagi
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Hari 20
Khamis, 9 Januari 2020
⛅ 11 °C
Altitud: 16 m
England The Tower of London 51.50808, -0.0760151°30’29” N 0°4’34” W
Tower of London and our last night
9 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
We weren't quite finished with London yet, and today we went on a tour of the Tower of London. We were shown around by one of the old Yeoman with an impressive uniform and a wry sense of humour.

It was a smashing day - cold, but bright and sunny. Perfect weather for some iconic London shots.

Back at Connaught, I took a last trip to Waitrose for supplies for a farewell meal - negronis, steaks and spuds.Baca lagi
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Hari 21
Jumaat, 10 Januari 2020
☀️ 5 °C
Altitud: 21 m
England Heathrow Terminal 2 51.469702, -0.44943151°28’11” N 0°26’58” W
Goodbye London
10 Januari 2020, England ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C
A sad day as we got ready to leave London and our family.

We did some last minute shopping in Richmond then met George and Percy for a pub lunch.

Then it was home to pack and to enjoy some last cuddles with cousins before heading off to Heathrow.Baca lagi
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Hari 22
Sabtu, 11 Januari 2020
☁️ 29 °C
Altitud: 28 m
Malaysia Sungai Anak Ayer Batu 3.135985, 101.672693°8’10” N 101°40’22” E
Kuala Lumpur
11 Januari 2020, Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
We broke up the trip home with a few days poolside in Kuala Lumpur.

We were to have met Soph and Ross, and I felt sad and guilty that we were there without them. That, and missing George and Tegan and the boys made it a bit of a funny holiday.

But - it was a big treat to be staying at the Meridien KL. We played and swam and had drinks by the pool, went to the Chinese markets for a fish foot spa, and visited Brickfields (the Indian section). We went out to the Hindu Temples at Batu Caves. There were some spectacular Hindu statues, and monkeys everywhere !Baca lagi
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Hari 26
Rabu, 15 Januari 2020
☁️ 26 °C
Altitud: 25 m
Australia Town Hall railway station -33.87275, 151.20618333°52’22” S 151°12’22” E
Everything’s back to usual now
15 Januari 2020, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
We arrived home to a fully stocked frig and a beautifully cared for house thanks to Robin.

We were so happy to see her, and then Soph and Ross. And then of course it was wonderful to be reunited with Mum and see her feeling so much better.

What a brilliant trip we had. It was very special to spend time with George and Tegan and our London cousins ! We can't thank them enough for putting us up and showing us the best time ever.

Everything's back to usual now...until next time !!!

xxxBaca lagi
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15 Januari 2020